Now Portland Public Schools is considering laying off ten percent of high school teachers and 25 central office administrators. It’s facing a campaign with big backers for its proposal to end physical education for elementary and middle school students.

Please know that the identified potential reductions are a result of many, many hours of investigation, discussion, deep thought and analysis. Every effort was made to take a balanced approach to the cuts and reduce the impact to staff, students and programs as much as possible. We continue to value the support and collaboration of all patrons as we work through this difficult process.

How do different communities choose what to cut and what to keep? What do you value most in your school? What are you willing to eliminate?